Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-12-14

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with only such deduction as may be
his share toward the careful and eco
nomical maintenance of the govern
ment which protects him, il is plain
that the exaction Of more than this is
indefensible extortion, and culpable
betrayal Of American fairness and
justice. This wrong inflicted upon
those who bear the burden Of nation
al taxation, like other wrongs, multi
plies brood of evil consequences.
The public treasury. which should
only exist as conduit conveying the
peoples tribute to its legitimate object
of expenditure, becomes boarding
place for money needlessly withdrawn
from trade and the peoples use. thus
Gripping our national enterprise, sus.
pending our country's development,
preventing investment in productive
enterprises, threatening financial dis
turbance and inviting schemes OF
public plumber.
The relief must come by repeal
of some of the tariff taxes and the
President does not favor a repeal of
the whisky or tobacco tax. On the
tariff laws the President states:
But our present tariff laws, the vi
cious, inequitable and illogical source
of unnecessary taxation, ought TO be
at once revised and amended. These
laws, as their primary and plain effect,
raise the price to consumers of all art
icles imported and subject to duty, by
precisely the sum paid for such duties
Thus the amount of the duty measures
the tax paid by those who purchase
for use these imported articles. Many
of these things, however, are raised
or manufactured in our own country,
and the duties now levied upon foreign
goods and products are called protec-
ton to these home manufactures, be-
cause they render it possible for those
of our people who are manufacturers,
to make these taxed articles and sell
them for a price equal to that demand
ed for imported goods that have paid
customs duty.
So it happens that while compare
lively few use the imported articles,
millions of our people, who never use
and never saw any Of the foreign pro-
ducts, purchase and use things of the
same kind made in this country, and
pay thereof nearly or quite the same
enhanced price that the duty adds to
the imported articles. Those who
buy imports pay the duty charged
thereon into the public treasury, but
the great majority of our citizens,
who buy domestic articles of the same
class, pay a sum at least approximate
ly equal to this duty to the home man.
ufacturer. This reference to the
operation of our tariff laws is not
made by way of instruction, but in
order that we may be constantly re-
minded of the manner in which they
impose a burden upon those who con-
sumo domestic products as well as
those who consume imported articles,
and thus create tax upon all our
people.
1t is not proposed to entirely relieve
the country of this taxation. 1t must
be extensively continued as the source
of the governments income; and in a
REIMBURSEMENT of our tariff the interests
of American labor engaged in manu-
facture should be carefully considered
as well as the preservation Of our
manufacturers. 1t may be called pro-
lection, or by any other name, but re-
lief from the hardships and dangers
of our present tariff laws, should be
devised with especial precaution
against imperilling the existence of
our manufacturing interest But this
existence should not mean a condition
which, without regard to the public
welfare or a national exigency, must
always insure the realization of i'm
mense profits instead of moderately
profitable returns. As the volume
and diversity of our national activities
increase, new recruits are added to
those who desire continuation of the
advantages which they conceive the
present system of tariff taxation indi-
rectly affords them. So stubbornly
have all efforts to reform the present
condition been resisted by those of
our fellow citizens thus engaged, that
they can hardly complain of the sus-
picion, entertained to a certain extent
that there exists an organized combin-
alton all along the line to maintain
their advantage.
The President concludes his re-
marks on the tariff taxes as follows:
Our progress towards wise conclu-
sion will not be improved by dwelling
upon the theories of protection and
free trade. This savors too much of
bandying epitaphs. 1t is a condition
which confronts us--not theory.
Relief from this condition may in
volve slight reduction of the advant-
ages which we award our home pro-
auctions, but the entire withdrawal of
such advantages should not be con-
templated. The question of free trade
is absolutely irrelevant; and the per-
sistent claim made in certain quarters,
that all efforts to relieve the people
from unjust and unnecessary taxation
are schemes of so-called free-traders,
is mischievous and far removed from
any consideration for the public good.
The simple and plain duty which
we owe the people is to reduce taxa
ton to the necessary expenses of an
economical operation of the govern
ment, and to restore to the business of
the country the money which we hold
in the Treasury through the perver-
sion of governmental powers. These
things can and should be done with